BARNSTABLE COUNTY’S 2014-2015 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY YEAR 16 EDITION OUR MISSION TTHEHE BBARNSTABLEARNSTABLE CCOUNTYOUNTY AAMERIMERICCORPSORPS CCAPEAPE CCODOD PROGRAMPROGRAM ISIS DEDICATEDDEDICATED TOTO SERVINGSERVING THETHE CRITICALCRITICAL ENVIRONMENTALENVIRONMENTAL ANDAND COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY NEEDSNEEDS OFOF CCAPEAPE CCODOD THROUGHTHROUGH NATURALNATURAL RESOURCERESOURCE MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT,, DISASTERDISASTER PREPAREDNESSPREPAREDNESS ANDAND RESPONSERESPONSE,, COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY EDUCATIONEDUCATION,, ANDAND VOLUNTEERVOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENTENGAGEMENT.. BARNSTABLE COUNTY AMERICORPS CAPE COD YEAR 16 AMERICORPS CAPE COD Dear Reader, On behalf of the Barnstable County Commissioners, Mary Pat Flynn, Sheila Lyons and Leo Cakounes, and the County Resource Development Office, I would like to acknowledge and commend the efforts of the 16th corps of 32 AmeriCorps members who have notably provided service to the communities of Cape Cod this year. Their continued initiative, creativity and dedication have acutely enhanced our program’s breadth and depth of service, raising the bar for the next year of member service, community strengthening and volunteer engagement. AmeriCorps Members served through a winter storm named Juno, bridged the hunger gap through MLK Day of Service, and completed targeted weeks of service for National Volunteer Week, AmeriCorps Week and AmeriCorps Cape Cod Week. In addition, this year also marks the end of the third year of our powerful new FireCorps initiative, providing over 30,600 hours of service designed to mitigate the severe risk for wildfires on Cape Cod, through our long and strong partnership with the Cape Cod National Seashore. From 1999 to today, over four hundred and forty men and women have served as AmeriCorps Cape Cod members providing more than 700,000 hours of service to Barnstable County communities. Barnstable County AmeriCorps Cape Cod is a four–time national award winning program recognized by the United States Congress, Massachusetts State Senate and the American Red Cross as one of the most innovative and accomplished programs in the United States, having also received the National Association of Counties’ “Acts of Caring Award” and won twice the Innovations in Civic Participation’s “Transforming Communities through Community Service” award. The program has been awarded federal funds through the Massachusetts Service Alliance from the Corporation for National and Community Service to continue AmeriCorps Cape Cod programming over the next year. In September 2015, AmeriCorps Cape Cod will begin its 17th year of service to our community. We are fortunate to have dedicated support here on Cape Cod comprised of service partners, advisory board members, alumni, volunteers, and staff leaders. Barnstable County, the National Park Service Cape Cod National Seashore, and the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee continue to serve as key program partners. Barnstable County and the Cape Cod National Seashore annually donate AmeriCorps member residences to the program, without which we would struggle to find viable, affordable member housing. These organizations and individual leaders have been instrumental in strengthening our connection to the community. The AmeriCorps Cape Cod program is a residential program designed to provide quality year round community service to protect and sustain the natural resources of Cape Cod for the use and enjoyment of future generations. By reading through the pages of this report as a program and community, we reflect on the impact of this year’s service. The report begins by introducing key environmental needs of the community, elaborating on our natural resource management projects, the accomplishment and success of our new FireCorps initiative with the Cape Cod National Seashore and advances in the field of disaster preparedness and response. The report also includes accomplishments of the Resource Development Office, and highlights our continued success in community education and in our volunteer engagement events, finally concluding with a town-by-town listing with an account of all the service we have performed this year throughout Barnstable County. As you’ll soon see we have been very busy this year and will continue to work towards improving the delivery of efficient, effective services to our community. Having completed more than 700,000 hours of service over the past sixteen years, AmeriCorps Cape Cod members and community volunteers share a common spirit of service, dedication and idealism. Today, the AmeriCorps Cape Cod program stands as a proud example of how the power of service can help change and improve the community and ultimately the world in which we live. Service is a solution to our community’s most difficult challenges. Together we strive to make a difference and strengthen our community through service, now and into the future. Respectfully, Darlene Johnson-Morris, Director, Resource Development Office & AmeriCorps Cape Cod Program 1 BARNSTABLE COUNTY AMERICORPS CAPE COD ADVISORY BOARD RYAN BURCH MICHAEL LACH Town of Brewster Harwich Conservation Trust PHILIP BURT LEO CAKOUNES Barnstable County Dept. of Health & Environment Barnstable County Commissioner BRIAN CARLSON HEATHER MCELROY Town of Wellfleet Cape Cod Commission NANCY CHURCH LAUREN MCKEAN Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Cape Cod National Seashore NINA COLEMAN STEVE MCKENNA Town of Barnstable MA Coastal Zone Management JOSEPH DAIGLE DIANE MURPHY Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Retired Cooperative Extension/SEMAC PETER FREEMAN JOHN OHMAN Freeman Davis & Stearns LLC Assembly of Delegates – Dennis HILARY GREENBERG LEMOS JESSICA ERICKSON WHRITENOUR Town of Wellfleet The 300 Committee Land Trust RACHEL HUTCHINSON Town of Chatham On behalf of the Barnstable County Commissioners and the staff of the Resource Development Office, the AmeriCorps Cape Cod (ACC) program would like to thank the Advisory Board for all the support and assistance they provided us throughout this program year. They are the driving force that helps advance and improve the benefits that ACC provides to the local community and its corps members. 2 BARNSTABLE COUNTY PROGRAM STAFF AMERICORPS CAPE COD DARLENE JOHNSON-MORRIS RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE & AMERICORPS CAPE COD PROGRAM DIRECTOR RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE JULIE FERGUSON FRANCES WEIDMAN-DAHL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER AMANDA HOWE BOBBI MORITZ RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER PRISCILLA ELLIS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AMERICORPS CAPE COD CHRISTIN MARSHALL LIBBY FIFER PROGRAM COORDINATOR PROGRAM SUPERVISOR BOURNE HOUSE AMY HENDERSON SEBASTIAN WHEELER PROGRAM SPECIALIST PROGRAM SUPERVISOR WELLFLEET HOUSE BRITTANY QUAGLIERI ERIC LEFEVERS PROGRAM SPECIALIST PROGRAM SUPERVISOR FIRE HOUSE The AmeriCorps Cape Cod program is funded through grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Massachusetts Service Alliance and matching funds from Barnstable County. Housing is provided by Barnstable County and Cape Cod National Seashore. 3 BARNSTABLE COUNTY AMERICORPS CAPE COD RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 20 YEARS OF RESOURCES The Barnstable County Resource Development Office was founded in the belief that common problems can be solved through regional solutions, and is committed to the advancement of grant programs and creative uses of existing resources on Cape Cod. Since 1994 the office has worked to build, strengthen and expand the capacity and resources of Barnstable County Departments and the 15 Towns they serve. The mission of the office is achieved through grant management, grant development, community outreach, and education. RDO RESPONSIBILITIES 10% 10% Grant Management 45% Grant Development 15% Technical Assistance Program Development 20% Other Special Projects RDO Staff (left to right): Bobbi Moritz, Amanda Howe, Priscilla Ellis, Darlene Johnson-Morris, Julie Ferguson, Fran Weidman-Dahl GRANT MANAGEMENT During Fiscal Year 2015 the Resource Development Office successfully managed more than 4.3 million dollars in federal, state, local and private funds. GRANT DEVELOPMENT During Fiscal Year 2015 the Resource Development Office developed 19 grant proposals requesting more than 1.7 million dollars in grant funds and was awarded over 1.0 million dollars in funds yielding a success rate of 58%. Another 650,000 dollars in proposed grant funding is still pending award notification. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OUTREACH The office provides technical assistance and outreach to county departments and towns including project design, program development, funding-source research, budget assistance, and other developmental opportunities. 4 AMERICORPS CAPE COD RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE BARNSTABLE COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS OF GRANT-FUNDED PROJECTS The Resource Development Office staff team work together to manage and develop grants, provide county departments and towns with skilled technical assistance in grant writing, researching, requesting, and acquiring local, state, and federal grants and other critically needed resources. In addition, the office also coordinates regional projects including the development, implementation and management of the AmeriCorps Cape Cod Program over the past 16 years. RECENT AWARDED GRANTS BARNSTABLE COUNTY AMERICORPS CAPE COD NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK ~ Three year grant-funded regional program ~ ~ Boland Pond Restoration in Orleans ~ BRIDGING THE HUNGER GAP THE PLASTIC BREEZE ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service ~ ~ A book written & illustrated